Category Archives: Commentary

For Part 3 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to offer their insights and predictions on what play will—or better yet, should—look like when families are released from isolation.  The power of play when we need it most Helen Shwe Hadani, PhD, is a fellow in Global Economy and Development and the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution. Many weeks ago, I saw something that took my breath away—hazard tape around play structures…

For Part 3 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to offer their insights and predictions on what play will—or better yet, should—look like when families are released from isolation.  Discovering the genius in boredom: Life after COVID-19 Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, Professor of Psychology at Temple University, is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, popular author, and proud mother and grandmother. The post-COVID child emerges as a master of her own time and space.…

For Part 3 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to offer their insights and predictions on what play will—or better yet, should—look like when families are released from isolation.  Why play will be essential when we reopen schools Jill Vialet is the Founder of Playworks, Co-Founder of MOCHA, Substantial, and Workswell, the author of Recess Rules, and co-author of the forthcoming Substantial: Redesigning the Substitute Teaching Experience from Jossey-Bass. Playworks has just launched #PlayAtHome…

For Part 3 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to offer their insights and predictions on what play will—or better yet, should—look like when families are released from isolation.  Disabled children leading the way: Playing together online Kathryn E. Ringland, PhD, is currently an NIMH Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University and Co-founder of the Kaina Institute for Equitable Research. We often view online play and socialization as “less than” what occurs offline. Two years…

For Part 3 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to offer their insights and predictions on what play will—or better yet, should—look like when families are released from isolation.  A return to play Rosanna Lopez is the Founder of SparkleLAB Design and Innovation Hub and the Discovery Academy of Innovation. Over the years, there has been a shift in the lives of children marked by the continual loss of play. As school hours are…

For Part 3 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to offer their insights and predictions on what play will—or better yet, should—look like when families are released from isolation.  When we give the outdoors back to children Roger Hart, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Geography and Director of the Children’s Environments Research Group at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, is currently completing Revisiting Childhood, a study of changes to…

For Part 2 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to take a stab at predicting the future by offering their thoughts on “What will change in the coming months and/or years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”  The coming Zoom fatigue Jeremy Bailenson, PhD, is Thomas More Storke Professor in the Department of Communication at Stanford University and Founding Director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab.  After a month of sheltering in…

For Part 2 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to take a stab at predicting the future by offering their thoughts on “What will change in the coming months and/or years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”  A renewed push to make learners independent Matthew Kam, PhD, is the lead researcher in Google’s Chromebooks team for families, education, and business strategy. The opinions expressed here are his own. Students are increasingly turning to…

For Part 2 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to take a stab at predicting the future by offering their thoughts on “What will change in the coming months and/or years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”  When liberated, face-to-face will overtake face-to-screen David Kleeman is Senior Vice President of Global Trends for Dubit, a strategy and research consultancy and digital studio based in Leeds, England.  On March 31, the New York Times…

For Part 2 of the Voices on the Future of Childhood series, we asked experts to take a stab at predicting the future by offering their thoughts on “What will change in the coming months and/or years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”  The same magic of childhood, new delivery Caroline Hu Flexer is the CEO and co-founder of Khan Academy Kids and Duck Duck Moose. For the youngest children, social distancing and school closures have taken away the…